Posts by davesparks
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
I can't believe Lawtanya hasn't provoked at least some comment. Let me be the first to congratulate you on un-earthing some genuine internet gold!
-
And the Lions tour didn't have the international TV audience that a RWC does!
-
Has this thread taken over from Mother we've been goosed as the offical stadium spat thread? If so...
I was lucky enough to be in SF when this came online:
and living just across the road as it happened. In terms of transforming the arse-end of a light industrial/waterfront area it was awesome. And I mean literally awe-inspiringly awesome.
For a start, as a former Carlaw-curious fence-sitter I'll actually buy in to Trev M's comments about pedestrian flows to and from a game being much much better with the waterfront option. The open area around the waterfront option (in SF) really reduced the claustrophobic feel of a big crowd, and the dispersal to both PT and carparks was merry and good natured. Because people could loiter and wander at their own pace and not feel hustled or crushed it actually made taking a family to the game not just possible but practical.
So you saw a lot more families in the crowds, and more casual attendance - going was an experience in itself, not just for the hardcore fan or sports-ground boozer.
The beauty of the setting had an effect. Even being outside the game, the atmosphere combined with the location was in itself was moving. To hear that many people cheer then see them spill onto the streets buzzed up and enjoying themselves made me want to be inside and experience that first hand - and I had zero interest in baseball.
Its driving me insane to hear people beat this thing up, put their hands on their hips and try to score petty points by saying 'could be better', 'i wasn't asked', 'someone else wants it so I'll make sure they can't have it'.
What, if you say dirty words like 'bedpan' and 'hemorrhoid' and get snicky at people for dropping apostrophe's out of the their ads that makes your argument somehow smarter, your ideas so much worthier and by extension yourself so so much more important?
This could be magnificent. What we have there now isn't, and there are no other plans for it to be so.
If you don't want to have anything magnificent in your city, or in your life, fine, there is *plenty* of mediocre out there for you to wallow in. But don't ruin it for the rest of us by shouting down the benefits with mean-minded prophecies of doom.
*Could* the cock-knocking in this place get any worse ffs?!?
-
It occurs to me that the need is as much for something looks great on TV, as it is to fit in the extra punters for a one-shot final.
The last WC in Aussie had a cumulative world television audience of 3.5 billion.
A waterfront stadium would fit the bill as a very telegenic 'jewel in the crown', cue endless helicopter shots of our fair city. Cue lasting impressions and visitor numbers sustained well beyond the Cup itself. Check out the video presentation to get the idea.
Its something that Eden Park wouldn't do so well - scenic fly-by of Sandringham in-fill housing anyone? - and surely the threat of Jade stadium is just a stick to goad grumpy Aucklanders - what could be more motivating than losing out to Christchurchians?
And as for the dark mutterings about deals worked out behind closed doors, and 'done-deal' conspiracy theories, surely this sort of last-minute-oh-i-hadn't-thought-of-that is the standard play for organising big things in this little country.
Does no one remember how well organised we were for the 2003 World Cup, the one we had a share of then lost? Surely the fact that we pitched for and won this one is an exceptional (*exceptional*) performance, not a benchmark for how things get done.
-
One thing I find interesting - certainly this year and probably since the Lions we're pretty much put to bed midway thru the series - is that the All Blacks are largely playing and winning without a great deal of complexity in their set piece moves.
Now and then they've pulled out a 'special' to get across the line, but otherwise its just been the basics - run the oppo ragged, bang it up hard and go wide to get around this year's defensive fad (the 'rush').
Is it because they still haven't got the ball distributor in the mid, or are they holding back, or am I missing something?
(Without Sky, following the game on Prime with fuzzy reception and ad breaks making it hard to keep the feel of the game, my spectatoring is well lacking match fitness this year).